Recycling centre fire, with smoke seen for miles

Friday 03 August 2018

There was thick black smoke rising high into the sky from the recycling centre on Bulwer Avenue this morning as an outside fire took hold.

The emergency services were dispatched to the area shortly after 09:00 after a number of phone calls alerting them to the smoke from members of the public.

Sirens could be heard regularly over the next hour as more emergency service units were dispatched to help with the response. 

The decision was made to close the Longue Hougue recycling yard and Bulwer Avenue itself to all traffic in both directions and the fire remained alight with thick black smoke continuing to pour into the atmosphere. 

One reader, who was believed to have been on Northside of the Bridge at the time, told Express they had heard "another small explosion" at around 09:45. It is not yet clear if those noises were linked to the fire.

Another reader, Ben Duddy who recently completed a work experience programme with Bailiwick Express, was in the area at the time the fire took hold and he captured flames from the car window as they drove past.

Pictured: Flames were visible for those people nearby when the fire took hold this morning

Readers sent Express photos taken from as far away as Guernsey Airport, with a number of images taken from the Bridge, Admiral Park, L'ancresse and L'islet areas showing how visible the smoke was above the St Sampson's skyline. The fire was also visible from Herm and Sark. 

Pictured: The smoke was visible from the airport 

Pictured: The smoke was visible from L'ancresse to the north of the fire 

Pictured: People in Herm could see the thick black smoke rising and spreading southerly across Guernsey 

Pictured: The smoke was also visible from Sark with reports it could even be seen from Jersey.

By 11:30 the fire was reported to be under control. Unconfirmed reports said it was a car yard that had been alight with a number of scrapped vehicles, including fuel tanks and tyres on fire.

Environmental Health issued advice at 11:20 telling people in the area that "anyone who is affected by the plume of smoke should stay in their property and close their doors and windows."

That was further clarified as "if smoke is above your property and you can smell it, and that causes you concern, then the advice is to stay inside and close doors and windows."

Pictured top: Smoke from the fire outside at the recycling centre on Bulwer Avenue. This image was taken from Southside at the Bride.

All images provided to Express by readers gratefully received - any further pictures can be sent to editor@bailiwickexpress.com